Ogun: Mixed fortunes for APC, PDP onOctober 24, 2013/ in Politics12:00 am / Comments By DAUD OLATUNJI The ancient city of Abeokuta,the Ogun State capital became a Mecca of sort recently when the Peoples Democratic Party in the state held a Stakeholders/ Unity rally at the State Secretariat where over 15,000 people drawn from the 20 local government areas of the state abandoned their former parties for the PDP. What was spectacular about the PDP rally was the defection of former deputy governor to Chief Olusegun Osoba in the third republic Chief Rafiu Ogunleye who led 15,000 members of All Progressives Congress, All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Labour Party to join the PDP. This development, according to findings, is part of the determination of the PDP to reclaim its grip on the state it lost to the former Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in 2011. Among the party chieftains who attended the rally were former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu , PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, Chairman of the South West PDP Organization and Mobilization Committee, Prince Buruji Kashamu former South West caretaker Chairman, Isola Filani; acting Chairman, South West Caretaker Committee, Deji Doherty; National Auditor, Alhaji fatai Adeyanju , Chief Remi Adiukwu; chairmen of PDP in Oyo and Osun states, Alhaji Yinka Taiwo and Alhaji Ganiu Olaoluwa, respectively; Secretary , Presidential Advisory Committee, Chief Richard Lamai.among others. Coming election The PDP did not fail to use the rally to announce its readiness to take over the State from the ruling APC in the coming election. It would be recalled that, the party had been embroiled in internal wrangling which led to its division into two factions before it was recently resolved in the favour of the Kashamu-supported exco against the faction loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Since the crisis was resolved, the state executive has been reaching out to other members of the party in the other faction with a view to coming together and fight the common ‘enemies’ – All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party. Explaining how the PDP became attractive to Ogunleye and 15,000 others from the APC and LP in the state, Kashamu said: “Today is a great day in the history of Ogun State. It is a great day because never in the history of party politics has a party not in government caught “a big fish” in the calibre of a former Deputy Governor, produced on the platform of the party in government, joining its fold as in this case. It is particularly note worthy that he is not coming alone.” Ogunleye, while explaining the reason for his action said he and his supporters quit the APC because of the alleged domineering posture of the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. He said that he and his supporters became fed up with the APC as many of them were allegedly sidelined in the scheme of things during the July 21, 2012 Council polls held in the state. According to him, my group began to notice some unfavourable events unfolding in the APC despite also the fact that we were part of the founding members. “I say with all sense of modesty and responsibility that the Imole Group members were responsible for the larger per centage of successes recorded by the ACN in the 2011 general elections. What became our lot after installing the government in the state? The answer is an open secret that resulted in our being here today,” he said. Also, at the occassion which became the talk of the town, Mantu described the PDP as the only party in the country observing real democratic tenets. “PDP remains the only hope of Nigerians. Whatever is wrong with the PDP, we have people like Kashamu who are determined to correct all the ills of the PDP; who are determined to restore democracy to the people, who are determined to ensure that votes count”, Mantu said. Reacting to the development, the Ogun APC denied that Ogunleye was ever a member of the party. The state Publicity Secretary, Sola Lawal described Ogunleye as a retired politician “He was a retired and tired politician. There was nothing like defection, but, joining the PDP. “His joining the PDP will never affect our party victory. The ACN single handedly defeated the PDP in 2011, is it the time when we have three parties coming together as a party that we will be afraid of the PDP.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 22:00:11 +0000
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